I love the crunch and substance that nuts add to any salad, but bonus here: sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E (to help with inflammation and prevent cardiovascular disease) and magnesium (which calms your nerves and muscles).

Let’s talk summer salad season. And this year, it’s bringing sugar snap peas and mango along with it. Not that either of them are new, but they’re new as a salad combo for me. Even raw pumpkin seeds, too. (The seeds are actually way better toasted, but who wants to fire up a stove in this weather?) Throw it all on a bed of arugula with some cucumber, salt, pepper, oil and balsamic vinegar, and you have dinner in less than 10 minutes of chopping.

When I posted this on instagram I said I couldn’t believe there was a time when I didn’t like fruit in my salad — any kind, ever — because now I want some kind of fruit or citrus in every salad I eat. Apparently I’m not alone because I got some great summer salad ideas from people that follow me.

One that also uses mango: arugula, shallots or red onion, avocado and mango. Add red wine vinegar and olive oil and you’re good to go!

And another with watermelon and off-the-summer-vine tomatoes. Add red onion, toasted cumin seed and oil & vinegar. Addictive. Could also add a touch of cinnamon.

I’ll definitely be trying both of those, as well as some other fun recipes I learned on my dream of a honeymoon on the other side of the world.

Standby for those, coming soon…!